Summary: Irish Astr. J., 26, 91--93 (1999) [1999 July issue]
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fl IAJ 1999 Last revised 1999 May 21
THE RESONANT LEONID TRAIL FROM 1333
D. J. ASHER & M. E. BAILEY
Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG, U.K.
and
V. V. EMEL'YANENKO
Department of Theoretical Mechanics, South Ural University, Chelyabinsk, 454080, Russia
(E­mail dja@star.arm.ac.uk)
ABSTRACT. The largest contribution to the fireball­rich Leonid outburst of 1998 has
previously been shown to be a component of resonant meteoroids ejected from Comet
55P/Tempel­Tuttle in 1333. By integrating particles with a suitable range of initial or­
bits, we demonstrate here that the cross section of the arc of resonant particles from 1333
through which the Earth passed in 1998 is quite compact and reflects details of the particles'
initial ejection velocities. This is because resonant motion prevents streams of particles from
dispersing as quickly as non­resonant particles.
1. INTRODUCTION: TWO KINDS OF TRAIL
Enhanced meteor activity, sometimes to storm level, occurs when the Earth passes through a
narrow, dense trail of material within a meteoroid stream (Kres'ak 1993). Trails are normally

Source: Armagh Observatory

Collections: Physics